Flexible Dieting (If It Fits Your Macros) Review

Flexible Dieting Might Just Be The Best Diet Ever - Here's Why

Many diets claim to work. Many promise amazing results. Some deliver (like the number one diet in the world), but most don’t. And almost all of them prove difficult to stick with for long periods of time.

But what if I told you about a diet approach that produces amazing results, one that is not only easy to stick with, but allows you to eat your favorite foods and doesn’t ban anything? Is that something you might be interested in?

Well my friends, let me tell you a story. It's the story of flexible dieting...

What Is Flexible Dieting?

First off, flexible dieting isn’t a diet by classic definition. It doesn’t have any hard-and-fast rules. There are no “good” and “bad” foods. No food is off-limits. There are no expensive meal replacement shakes or supplements to buy.

Flexible dieting teaches you to look at food as a sum of its macronutrient components: protein, carbs, fat, and fiber. You have a daily number of each of these to hit, and as long as you hit these numbers you can choose what foods they come from.

Flexible dieting was born out of the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) movement. IIFYM is based on the reasoning that as long as the foods you eat fit your specific macronutrient targets for the day (protein, carbs, and fat), it doesn’t matter if they come from chicken and rice or pop-tarts and ice cream — you will lose weight/gain muscle.

Kansas State professor Mark Haub, who lost 27 pounds on a diet of Twinkies, junk food, and protein shakes, is probably the most famous example of this method. Even though the nutritional value of his diet was probably lower than dirt, he ate fewer calories than he burned, and thus lost weight

Where IIFYM falters however, is it has become a reason for people to justify filling their diet with mostly highly-processed, less nutrient-dense foods under the guise of, “Well, it fits my macros.” The problem with this is that it paints the picture that you can eat anything you want as long as it fits your macros, and you’ll be fine. This isn’t necessarily true — at least from an overall health perspective. And it is where flexible dieting comes in.

Flexible dieting bridges the gap between a diet high in whole, minimally processed foods (like clean eating) and a diet where you get to eat all of your favorite, less nutritious foods.

Basically, flexible dieting teaches you moderation. It’s based on the 80/20 principle, where 80 percent of your calories come from whole, minimally processed foods, while the rest can come from whatever you want as long as you are hitting your macro targets.

Flexible Dieting Pros

The benefits of flexible dieting are many. First off, flexible dieting gets you away from the mindset that there are “good” and “bad” foods. It gives you the freedom to eat foods you enjoy.

Another benefit is that while flexible dieting encourages you to work your favorite “junk” foods into your diet, if fat loss, muscle gain, or body recomposition is your goal, your diet is still going to have to be high in whole, minimally processed foods or you’re not going to be able to reach your macronutrient and fiber targets.

Eating a wider variety of foods will also expose your body to a wider variety of vitamins and minerals, as opposed to following a meal plan where you’re eating the same foods all the time.

Flexible dieting also has many positive psychological effects. The main goal of flexible dieting is to help you create a forgiveness mindset. Most typical diets have people severely restricting calories. This can create bad cravings and often leads to binging tendencies.

By allowing yourself to enjoy the foods you love in moderation and avoid severely restricting calories, you greatly reduce cravings and binging. This also helps build the mindset that when you do slip up, it’s not that big of a deal and you can forgive yourself easier.

It also aids with long-term adherence, which is the key to reaching your goals. If you’re following a plan you can’t stick with, you’ll struggle to see results.

Flexible Dieting Cons

There really aren’t a ton of negatives to flexible dieting. If you can stick with your plan, you’ll likely see great results.

Probably the biggest drawback is that counting your macronutrients is a skill. And like any skill, it needs to be learned. Thankfully, there are tons of apps out there (like MyFitnessPal), that make tracking and logging your intake very simple.

The other drawback is in the execution itself. Moderation takes practice. Learning how to work your favorite foods into your diet will take a little time. And just because it can fit your macros doesn’t mean it should.

“You can achieve your body composition goals by just making sure to hit your macros, but the bad news is that a junk food diet is not going to do you any favors if you care about your long-term health," says Ben Johnson, founder of bentrained.com.

This means that while flexible dieting allows you to eat some of your favorite, less nutritious foods, it's not all you should eat.

“Getting enough fiber is a big deal for your digestive tract and overall health, and luckily, it’s pretty easy to get if you’re eating enough servings of fruits and vegetables," says Johnson.“You want a body that gets everything it needs to function optimally and crush your workouts. Because when you’re hitting your micros, you can get more creative with how you hit your macros. You’ll be able to shed pounds of fat, pack on slabs of muscle, and maintain long-term health.”

The Verdict

The beauty of flexible dieting is that it can be adopted by anyone, with any nutritional preferences and lifestyle. This will not only help you stick with it for the long haul, but allow you to see better results as well.

By implementing the 80/20 principle, you’re able to blend a perfect mix of whole, nutritious foods and processed treats while still hitting your macro goals, staying on plan and enjoying your life.

This is an approach many — including myself and my clients — use to see results.

Here is what my client Reg had to say: “I learned a lot more about nutrition, which complemented my training and goals. I’ve learned how[having] macro targets can be a healthy and realistic approach, and I never felt like certain foods were completely off limits.”

During his time with me, Reg has lost over 20 pounds using a flexible dieting protocol. But the results don’t stop there. I myself have been using a flexible dieting plan for years, dropping almost 80 pounds while never feeling deprived. I developed a deeper understanding of nutrition and how different foods help me reach my goals. I don’t even think about it as a diet, just a style of eating that allows me to the foods I love in moderation while still reaching my goals.

Rating Flexible Dieting

Convenience/Feasibility — 18/20

Flexible dieting is very convenient and feasible: No foods are off limits.

The only knock against it is that it does take some practice, like I previously discussed. Some people can pick up macro counting very easily. Others need to make it more of a priority. Once you do get the hang of it, however, it becomes second nature.

Cost — 20/20

Again, because it’s technically not a diet, there are no approved or unapproved foods.There are no magic shakes or supplements to buy. You're eating whole, unprocessed foods as well as any other foods you enjoy.

The only extra cost associated may be a greens supplement or protein powder — especially if you don't like eating veggies or struggle getting enough protein. But, like I said, these are optional.

Safety — 20/20

With flexible eating, there is no crash dieting (unlike the Millitary Diet, which we don't recommend) or banning entire food groups. And as long as you maintain a moderate caloric deficit while keeping micronutrients in mind, the dangers are almost non-existent.

Flexibility — 18/20

It is called flexible dieting after all.

The beauty of using macro targets is you can customize your diet however you want; there is no ideal macronutrient ratio. The only thing you want to do is keep your protein intake high — somewhere between 0.8-1.3 grams per pound of bodyweight.

I could write a whole article on the importance of high-protein diets. Protein helps you build and maintain muscle mass while keeping your metabolism in high gear and helping you feel satiated. As for carbs and fat, you can adjust your intake based on your preferences. If you like carbs, you can go higher carb, lower fat. If you like fat more, you can do the opposite.

Of all the diets out there, this approach allows you the most freedom. Because your macronutrient targets are specifically tailored to you and your goals, the diet is customized to you. It doesn’t get more flexible than that.

However, this freedom doesn’t come without responsibility. You still need to prioritize quality food choices most of the time. “I personally found that with IIFYM, I am more inclined to reach for packaged foods rather than whole ingredients. It is easier to have a cup of Captain Crunch than to measure and prepare white rice,” says Ryan Johnson, a New York City-based trainer.

Effectiveness — 20/20

Flexible dieting works. Plain and simple. And if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense: The biggest struggle people have with dieting is adherence. Most diets restrict or forbid you from eating your favorite foods, going to parties or hanging out with friends.

Flexible dieting doesn’t. It gives you an avenue to fit those things into your diet, making it much, much easier to stick with.“Honoring personal preference is one of the powerful yet underrated tactics for achieving optimal health and body composition," says Alan Aragon, nutritionist.

Final Score — 98/100

Looking to find the perfect eating plan to help you reach your fitness goals? Check out these diet program reviews:

AskMen, Become a Better Man, Big Shiny Things, Mantics and guyQ are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis Canada, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission.